Esther Imonmion
The president of Spain’s Valencia region, Carlos Mazón, resigned on Monday, 3 November 2025, following months of pressure over his handling of the Valencia floods that killed hundreds last year.
The Valencia floods, which struck on 29 October 2024, claimed 229 lives in towns across the region, with a further eight deaths reported in neighbouring areas — Spain’s worst natural disaster in decades.
Mazón, a member of the conservative People’s Party (PP), faced heavy criticism for his response on the day of the Valencia floods. Reports revealed that he spent nearly four hours in a restaurant with journalist Maribel Vilaplana while floodwaters devastated communities. He also failed to attend key emergency meetings.
His government was further criticised for issuing an emergency alert to residents’ phones only after 8:00 p.m., by which time dozens had already died in the Valencia floods.
“I can’t go on anymore… I know that I made mistakes, I acknowledge it and I will live with them for the rest of my life,” Mazón said in his resignation speech. “I have said sorry and I say it again, but none of [the mistakes] were due to political calculation or bad faith.”
Public anger had been mounting for months. Regular monthly protests called for his resignation, including a major demonstration on 25 October 2025, when an estimated 50,000 people marched in Valencia demanding accountability for the Valencia floods.
Mazón’s appearance at a memorial service marking the first anniversary of the Valencia floods last week provoked outrage among victims’ families, some of whom jeered him during the ceremony — an incident believed to have influenced his decision to step down.
His resignation coincided with Vilaplana’s testimony before a judge investigating possible negligence in the handling of the Valencia floods. Spanish media reported that she told the magistrate Mazón “was constantly texting on his phone” and receiving “a lot of calls” during their lunch that day.
Although Mazón will leave his post as regional president, he will retain his seat in the regional parliament, giving him immunity from prosecution.
In his parting remarks, Mazón accused Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s left-wing central government of deliberately blocking disaster aid to Valencia “to cause political damage.”
The Valencia floods have not only reshaped the region’s political landscape but also left deep scars among residents still mourning their losses. The PP now faces a delicate task in naming his successor, as it depends on the support of the far-right Vox party, which has been gaining ground in polls since the tragedy.